Cigarette making machine



Feb. 23, 1965 J. D. DI GIACOMO ETAL CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE Filed Jan. 9, 1961 INVENTORS Charles Vaclav Slaller Joseph Daniel DiGlacomo ATTORNEY United States Patent of New Jersey 1 Filed Jan. 9, 1961, Ser. No. 81,519

Claims. (Cl. 13166) This invention relates to the making of cigarettes and is primarily concerned with an apparatus and method for making a cigarette rod.

Experience has shown that running a cigarette machine belt for collecting showered tobacco at very high speeds results in non-uniform distribution of showered shredded tobacco on this belt. This in turn results in a cigarette rod which is not of uniform density and compaction.

An object ofthe present invention is to collect showcred shredded tobacco at a slow linear speed and deposit it at a higher linear speed in the form of individual strands onto a second conveyor to allow for a more selective deposition than is presently attained.

Another object of the invention is to collect showered shredded tobacco 'on a conveyor running at a linear speed which will not disrupt the uniformity of the shreds and then transferring said shreds onto another conveyor running at a higher linear speed thus enabling thecigarette making machine to be operated at a higher speed than was possible heretofore while still permitting the use of conventional cigarette making machine components.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear as the description of the particular embodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses. In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, like characters of reference have been applied to corresponding parts throughout the several views which make up the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view including an elevation of apparatus for making uniform cigarette rods.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a velocity diagram pertaining to the movement of certain components shown in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is another velocity diagram.

In my invention, a suitable continuous source of supply of metered tobacco is employed to deliver a continuous shower of shredded tobacco. This showered tobacco falls through a vertically disposed duct onto a conveyor 11 including a pair of spaced rollers 12 and a belt 13 trained on the rollers. The belt 13 runs in the direction of the arrow at a linear speed v which will not disrupt the uniformity of the collected shreds. A conveyor in the form of a rotating dum 14 is positioned adjacent the conveyor 11. The drum 14 has a groove 15 in its periphery. An element or rotating picker wheel 16 is disposed above the belt 13 of the conveyor 11. The picker wheel 16 rotates in the direction of the arrow and has a peripheral linear speed v The peripheral linear speed v of picker wheel 16 is greater than the linear speed v of belt 13. The picker wheel 16 removes the shreds of tobacco from belt 13 and showers individual strands of tobacco onto the drum 14. 7

Suitable means are provided for holding the tobacco on the drum 14. In this embodiment the drum 14 has peripheral perforations 17 therein and suction means in the drum draws through the perforations to hold the tobacco on the drum. A shoe 18 creates suction through the perforations 17 for the length of the shoe so that tobacco will be projected oif the drum 14 when it passes the shoe. The drum 14 has a peripheral linear speed v which is greater than the linear speed V, of the belt 13 "ice and less than the peripheral speed v of the picker wheel 16. The tangential linear speed v of the picker wheel 16 must be greater than the linear speed v, of the belt 13 but v and the peripheral linear speed v of the drum 14 may be equal. A rotating redistributor wheel 19 showers the shredded tobacco on the drum 14 in a more uniform manner than it was when received on the drum. A guide 20 deflects the tobacco into the drum 14.

A conveyor 21 includes a pair of spaced rollers 22 and 23 and a belt 24 is trained on the rollers. When the shredded tobacco on the drum 14 passes the shoe 18, it is projected onto the belt 24 of the conveyor 21. Cigarette paper 25 is unrolled from a roll 26. The shredded tobacco on the belt 24 moves under a compressor roller 27 and then through a folder 28 which folds the cigarette paper around the cigarette rod. The cigarette paper and cigarette rod move through a paster 29 and then through an ironer 30 to form a multiple cigarette length which is then severed to form finished cigarettes by means of knife 31.

If v, is the linear speed of the cigarette rod in the rod forming mechanism and v, is the linear speed of the belt 24, v should be greater than v For best results v =1.2 v v =v /cos beta where beta is the angle between a tangent to the drum 14 and the belt 23. See FIG. 4. v may be equal to v v =v /cos alpha where alpha is the angle between a tangent to the drum 14 and the upper run of the belt 13. See FIG. 3. If alpha=15 degrees then v =1.O3 v 1 is the linear speed of a tobacco shred relative to the drum 14. An important advantage of the invention'is that the high speed of the tobacco as it leaves the picker wheel 16 impacts and compacts the tobacco against the drum 14. Another important advantage of the invention is that the high speed of the tobacco as it leaves the drum 14 impacts and compacts it on the belt 24. In the practice of the invention v is first decided upon and then v v and v are calculated in the order named.

A drum could be used instead of the belt conveyor 11 and instead of using the drum 14 a conveyor having a belt trained on rollers could be substituted.

The peripheral linear speed v of the picker wheel 16 being greater than the linear speed v of the belt 13 effects these results: Shredded tobacco is deposited onto the drum 14 in individual strands therefore allowing for a more selective deposition than if the shredded tobacco were fed in a solid stream as at present. The picker wheel 16 between the belt 13 and the drum 14 will allow this belt to be run at speeds which are desirable for tobacco stream uniformity.

This invention permits tobacco shreds to be collected on the conveyor belt 13 at a slow linear speed and allows these shreds to be directed and picked on to a drum running at a very high linear speed enabling the cigarette making machine to run at a higher speed than machines presently in use and still permits the use of conventional cigarette making machine components.

The invention hereinabove described may therefore be varied in construction within the scope of the claims for the particular device selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible embodiments of the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described.

What is claimed is:

l. The method of forming a cigarette rod comprising the steps of showering shredded tobacco to form a first stream, moving the first stream in a first path at one linear speed to separate the shreds, removing the tobacco from one end of the first stream at a linear speed greater than the linear speed of the first stream to form a second stream of uniformly disposed shreds, moving the second 9 l 1 stream in a second path 'at a linear speed greater tha the linear speed of the first stream and less than thelinear speed of removal, and forming the second stream into a cigarette rod. I

2. Apparatus for making cigarette rods comprising a first conveyor including a pair of spaced rollers and a belt trained on the rollers with the belt running at one linear speed, means for showering shredded tobacco on the belt of the first conveyor, a rotating drum positioned adjacent the belt of the first conveyor, a rotating picker wheel positioned adjacent the belt of the first conveyor running at a peripheral linear speed greater than the belt of the first conveyor for moving the shredded tobacco oi? the 'belt of the first conveyor onto the drum, means for holding the shredded tobacco on the drum, a second conveyor receiving the shredded tobacco from the drum, and means receiving the tobacco from the second conveyor and forming it into a cigarette rod.

3. Apparatus for making cigarette rods comprising a first conveyor including a pair of spaced rollers and a belt trained on the rollers with the belt running atone linear speed, means for showering shredded tobacco on the belt of the first conveyor, a rotating drum positioned adjacent the belt of the first conveyor and running at a peripheral linear speed greater than that of the belt, a rotating picker Wheel positioned adjacent the belt of the first conveyor runningat a peripheral linear speed greater than the belt of the first conveyor and greater than the peripheral linear speed of the drum for moving the shreddedtobacco off the belt of the first conveyor onto the drum, means for holding the shredded tobacco on the drum,,a second conveyor receiving the shredded tobacco from the drum, and means receiving the tobacco from the secondconveyor and forming it into a cigarette rod;

4. Apparatus for making cigarette rods comprising a first conveyor including a pair of spaced rollers and a belt trained on the --rollers with the belt running at one linear speed, means for showering shredded tobacco on the belt of the firstconveyor, a rotating drum positioned adjacent the belt of the first conveyor and running at a peripheral linear speed greater than that of the belt, a rotating picker wheel positioned on the belt or the first conveyor and running at a peripheral linear speed greater than the belt of the first conveyor for moving theshredded tobacco ofi the belt of the first conveyor'onto the drum, means for holding the shredded tobacco on the drum, a second conveyor including a plurality of rollers and a belt trained on the rollers with the belt running at a linear speed similar to the peripherallinear speedlof the drum and receiving the shredded tobacco from the drum, and means receiving the tobacco from the belt of the second conveyor and forming it into a 'cigarette'rod.

5. Anapparatus for makingcigarette rods comprising, showering means, a relatively sloW moving first conveyor to COlltiCijfi level stream from said showering means, a second conveyor relatively fasterthan said firstvconveyor and positioned adjacent a dischargeend, of said first conveyor, and a rotating pickerwheel having a pcripheral velocity greater than that of said second couveyor, said picker Wheel being positioned at said end of said first conveyor to propel. tobacco shreds from said first conveyor to said second conveyor, and means for receiving tobacco from the second conveyor to form it into a cigarette rod.

V I References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 764,551 Great Britain Dec. 28, 

4. APPARATUS FOR MAKING CIGARETTE RODS COMPRISING A FIRST CONVEYOR INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED ROLLERS AND A BELT TRAINED ON THE ROLLERS WITH THE BELT RUNNING AT ONE LINEAR SPEED, MEANS FOR SHOWERING SHREDDED TOBACCO ON THE BELT ON THE FIRST CONVEYOR, A ROTATING DRUM POSITIONED ADJACENT THE BELT OF THE FIRST CONVEYOR AND RUNNING AT A PERIPHERAL LINEAR SPEED GREATER THAN THAT OF THE BELT, A ROTATING PICKER WHEEL POSITIONED ON THE BELT OF THE FIRST COVEYOR AND RUNNING AT A PERIPHERAL LINEAR SPEED GREATER THAN THE BELT OF THE FIRST CONVEYOR FOR MOVING THE SHREDDED TOBACCO OFF THE BELT OF THE FIRST CONVEYOR ONTO THE DRUM, MEANS FOR HOLDING THE SHREDDED TOBACCO ON THE DRUM, A SECOND CONVEYOR INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF ROLLERS AND A BELT TRAINED ON THE ROLLERS WITH THE BELT RUNNING AT A LINEAR SPEED SIMILAR TO THE PERIPHERAL LINEAR SPEED OF THE DRUM AND RECEIVING THE SHREDDED TOBACCO FROM THE DRUM, AND MEANS RECEIVING THE TOBACCO FROM THE BELT OF THE SECOND CONVEYOR AND FORMING IT INTO A CIGARETTE ROD. 